It is a common practice, when rolls of web material are packaged, for a plurality of rolls to be rolled up on the same machine and at the same time. For example, rolls of compressible insulation material, such as glass fiber insulation, are commonly rolled up two or more rolls at a time in a roll up machine. After the rolls are packaged in roll form, they are wrapped to contain the package in roll form during shipping.
One of the problems associated with roll packaging of multiple packages of web material is that it is sometimes difficult to separate the roll packages from each other subsequent to packaging. The problem of separating attached rolls is particularly acute where some misalignment has occurred during the roll up process resulting in "telescoping" of the packages. This problem is particularly troublesome where the web material is compressible material which is compressed during the roll up process. The problem of attached rolls requires extra labor and attention in packaging and shipping processes, since the attached rolls are typically separated by hand. Also, some rolls are attached to each other so firmly that they cannot be separated without destroying the web material. The method and apparatus of the invention are directed towards the solution of the problem of separating attached rolls of web material.